Get Involved This Holiday Season

Between the holiday sweater parties (see happy pic!) and seasonal finals (see sad pic...), sometimes it can be easy to forget to spend some time giving back to the community.

studying for finals

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One of the things I looked forward to the most when coming to Duke was volunteering in the Durham community... but after getting swamped with classes, parties, etc, etc, I totally forgot about helping out. Last weekend, however, my friend told me about an opportunity to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity for a few hours the weekend before finals, so I decided to get involved.

habitat for humanity

It was my first time actually building something — and using powertools — but with a little help from our project manager, Jesús, my friend and I managed to put in some insulation on a porch roof. Even though he kept making fun of me for calling screws "nails," Jesús told me I was a natural with a screwdriver and could work on his construction site anytime!

Basically what I'm saying is, if you can find the time, help out in your community. It can be easy to forget how fortunate you are and how good you have it. Plus, giving back is personally rewarding as well. Get together a group of friends and check out what you can do!

Happy winter solstice everyone!

How often do you volunteer? What are some of your favorite organizations to get involved with? Leave a comment below!